My First Custom Build (will be windows 7) any feedback would be nice

[mad_sparker]

I have scoured the internet for a while and think I have a decent build (see below). Anyone care to comment on how this things going to work. I'm hoping for a high performance gaming machine... If there is any interest I'll post the benchmark results here.

Qty. Product Description Total Price
1 SILVERSTONE TJ09-S Silver Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail $279.99
Item #: N82E16811163074

2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148337 $239.98

2 MSI R5770-PM2D1G Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail ($159.99 each)
Item #: N82E16814127457

1 CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible ... - Retail $239.99
Item #: N82E16817139007

1 G.SKILL Trident 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-16000CL9T-6GBTD - Retail $164.99
Item #: N82E16820231254

1 ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813157163

1 Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail $279.99
Item #: N82E16819115202

1 Swiftech H20-220 Apex Ultima Extreme Duty CPU liquid cooling kit - Retail
Item #: N82E16835108109

1 LG Black 8X Blu-ray Burner - Bulk Model WH08LS20K - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136175


1 SYBA CL-HD-MRDU25S Mobile Rack for 2.5" SATA - Retail $35.99
Item #: N82E16817998038

2 Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2C1 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - OEM $578.00
Item #: N82E16820167016 ($289.00 each)

1 Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM $139.99
Item #: N82E16832116758

Subtotal: $2,873.87

 

[assasin32]

To my knowlege seagate was having issues with tier .11 drives in the past, so play it safe and just grab a different brand.

You don't need a 1000watt PSU for what you have that is WAY OVERKILL. Pre-built water cooling systems generally don't work all that good (a decent air cooling usually beats out prebuilt kits). $280 is quite pricey for a case (but to each his own), as you can pay less than half that and still get a VERY GOOD quality case. The 5770 video card is a good card, but I expect something more in a computer your paying almost 3grand for, and this won't be a "high end" gaming machine despite the price your paying and the parts you have (as they generally have more in terms of GPU power in my opinion).

The OEM lisense "Windows software and cannot be transferred to another computer once it is installed." (on newgg itself) so you may want to look into that more if you havent already.

Take a look at other builds and what people have to give you an better idea of what can be done. And it be nice if you followed the format in the sticky. So we know more of what you need it for, price range, etc.

Sorry if it sounded like I ripped you a new one, but its just how it came out.

 

[Shadow703793]

^+1 for getting a WD.

@OP:
1. The Swiftech Apex doesn't have the rad size needed. You need a MINIMUM 320 rad. Get a custom WCing loop OR get a good air cooler. You can build a good custom loop for an i7 for about the same amount of money. Also READ the Sticky: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/253958-29-watercooling-guide
If this is the first WCed build, you NEED to spend the time learning the art.

2. Get a P6T Deluxe

3. Case is WAY over priced. Get a HAF 932, Antec 900, Antec 1200,etc.

4. What resolution do you plan to play at? What games?

5. Tankguys has the X25-M G2 for $50 cheaper than Newegg.

 

[mad_sparker]

Thanks the case was chosen because of the water cooling. I needed something to fit the two 120 fans. I don't really like the case to tell you the truth. I just liked the idea of water cooling. I'll take a look at that guide, I had not seen that before.

I chose the 5770 because from what I could see from system tests the GPU speed vs memory was what made the systems fast. It also seems silly to get cards that can only run directX 10 vs 11. I assume this would push the processing back on the CPU.

Not sure what games. My current PC can just run UT2003 and Neverwinter Nights, so I have not really been looking around much.

 

[Shadow703793]

You WILL need to do some custom modding if you plan to water cool the i7. You need a 320 rad or bigger for optimal performance.

As for the GPU, I was asking because there is NO NEED to do CrossFire with 5770 right now. A single 5770 should be fine for your needs for now. Upgrade down the road. OR just grab a 5870 for now and CrossFire down the road with that.

Again, what resolution?

I just liked the idea of water cooling.

That's all good and fine, but PLEASE understand what is required on your part when setting up a WCing loop. (ie leak testing,etc). Conumdrum's guide is a good place to start.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I chose the 5770 because from what I could see from system tests the GPU speed vs memory was what made the systems fast. It also seems silly to get cards that can only run directX 10 vs 11. I assume this would push the processing back on the CPU.

Well look at it this way ..... how important was DX10 ? Not saying DX11 won't be better received than DX10 or that the 5770 is a bad choice, just that assuming DX11 will have some kind of significant impact is just that .... an assumption. At best, if it does have any significant impact, we won't know for about 2 years.

Otherwise, it's hard to find fault with your build other than the old generation HD's. Not only are they surpassed performance wise by the 7200.12's but the 11's were sometimes problematic. The cost per GB on those is $0.16 per GB whereas the newer, faster, quieter, lower temp ones are only $0.09 per GB, Three 1TB 7200'12's will cost just about the same as a single 1.5 TB (newegg newsletter special fr $79.99 just expired I think tho)

Some options ya might wanna to look at considering the budget.

Antec 1200 or HAF 932 cases

Antec SG-850 or Corsair HX-850 PSU

Air cooling w/ a HSF from the top 5 here:
http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article30-page1.html

Asus MoBo / GFx Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131359
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121349
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121350

Finally, if you are into PhysX, throw a $100 nVidia card (GT 9800) in the mix.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/nvidia-ATI-physx-patch-gpu,8786.html
http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/batman_arkham_asylum_physx_performance/page2.asp

The timings on the memory could be improved upon....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231272

though if you do go w/ air cooling, those RAM modules are a bit high and will probably hit the HSF. The Corsair Dominators (7) or Mushkin Redlines (6) have low timings, good cooling modules and are a bit less tall.

 

[mad_sparker]

Wow, thanks for the input all. Looks like I needed a bit of grounding.

Looks like I need to redo quite a bit and realizing what the audience is I suppose this would be a mid range gaming machine.

I'll look though every thing tomorrow morning and have another go at it!

Don't worry about me not understanding (ok that should make you worry) I've done plenty of plumbing and electrical work to know the risks involved. Which is what makes it so cool. But I'll take video in case it BIF's so at least I'll get a good You-Tube video.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Don't take the input as your selections weren't up to snuff .... my thought at least was to have ya consider all the options b4 pulling the trigger .... no buyer's remorse that way

 

[mad_sparker]

I don't take it personally. I'll admit it, I just started looking at all these parts, and specs. I'm constantly changing this build. It ranges between 2k and 4k depending on what I've read recently and how much I've had to drink (grins)...

 

[vorless]

I dont get this build, it all looks right but I feel the stock performance of it could be out done easily for around $1,000 dollars less.

 

[mad_sparker]

Thanks for feedback!

After reading more about water cooling I realized its some serious maintenance and I don't need another hobby. If I can get this thing to over clock to 3.6GHz I'll be pretty happy. Once I get it all put together I'll see what I can fit for a nice heat sink.

So I went with the Antec P193 case. mostly because its supposed to be quite and its the biggest case that will fit under my desk.

Got rid of the seagate harddrive and picked up two lower cost WD drives. With the SSD I hopefully will just be keeping MP3s and files on them.

Finally decided on an LCD I'll be running it at LG W2253TQ-PF Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) Full HD 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor (1920 x 1080)

Though about the graphics card and I really like my current GForce card and I looked around and realize that X11 really is not a good defining factor. I'll start with one card and if it has problems I'll get another. But this overclocked one really seemed to shine in the tests I saw it in. I did not realize the tests on Tom's hardware were for cards at different speeds, so when the fps numbers looked different it put me off. (5k system vs 2.5k preformace) Though both of those had two cards so I may need the second one.


EVGA 017-P3-1298-AR GeForce GTX 295 FTW Edition 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP

Switched to the lower power PSU
CORSAIR CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

Got the mushkin redline memory. It looks like a good balance between bandwidth and timing.


Got the ASUS P6T MOBO. I saw this one referenced a lot in reviews of memory and GPU cards and was on the fence.


Still around 3k, but feeling better about the build. Windows 7 does not ship till next week so I have a while to sleep on it. My Dell Dimension 8250 is feeling like a door stop compared to what this things going to be like...

Dragon Age by Bioware will most likely be for first recent game I throw at this PC.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Just two little comments....

1. Cable wise the Antec Signature series 850 may be a better choice for the Antec case. You also mentioned "quiet case" and the Antec Signature Series model is on SilentPC's Editor's Choice list:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_PSUs

Don't get me wrong, I think the Corsair HX series is one of the best on the market, it's just not apparently as quiet as the Antec Signatures....at least according to SilentPC folks. The Antec Signature make the "Editor's Choice" category whereas the Corsair HX comes in just behind in the "Recommended" category.

The Corsait 620HX recorded a sound pressure level of 22 dbA @ 300W in SilentPC's tests whereas the Antec Signature 650 recorded 18 dBA. The Antec however was done in an Anechoic chamber whereas the Corsair was tested in a live room. You can usually subtract up to 3 dbA to get an approximation of the difference between the chamber and "outside". That reduces the Corsair's 22 to a 19 which make sit very close but this difference might be important to you. Personally, I'd find it hard to notice 1 dbA ..... 3dbA represents a doubling of sound pressure level.

See more about the Signatures and HX Series here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article880-page6.html - from 10-30-2008

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article692-page5.html - from 11-17-2006

2. If you order from newegg today, it won't ship till Monday which is when newegg customer service told me they would start shipping Win7 so as to arrive on your doorstep on 10-22.

 

[Shadow703793]

^+1 on getting the Antec if you want quietness.

@OPO NOT get the GTX295, it's not very good performance vs price ratio. Get the ATI 5870 or 5850. Or 5770.
Get the P6T Deluxe: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365

Good LCD and RAM and HDD choice.

If you live near a Microcenter, you can get the i7 920 for $200.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0302727

 

[mad_sparker]

^+1 on getting the Antec if you want quietness.

@OPO NOT get the GTX295, it's not very good performance vs price ratio. Get the ATI 5870 or 5850. Or 5770.
Get the P6T Deluxe: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365

Good LCD and RAM and HDD choice.

If you live near a Microcenter, you can get the i7 920 for $200.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0302727

THanks for the heads up with the Microcenter i7. I need to price this stuff out and see where to get it all once I nail it down.

I looked at the regular vs the deluxe and for the life of me I can't see why the deluxe is called such. There is something I am missing. So I'd rather have the SATA than the USB. I don't really have any use for the Duel LANs and the PCI mode for the regular looks better that that of the Deluxe, but I'm not sure if it matters.

The difference I see:

Regular: 8 SATA
Deluxe: 6 SATA

Regular: 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 (at x16/x16/x4 mode)
Deluxe: 3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (at x16/x16/x1 or x16/x8/x8 mode)

Regular: 1 LAN
Deluxe: 2 LANs

Regular: 6 USB
Deluxe: 8 USB


Ah ok I just looked at the pictures of the boards and the heat sinks on the deluxe do look better and it does come with more SATA cables.... Wish I had a way to quantify how good the bigger heatsinks are, guess I'll have too look around.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Ah ok I just looked at the pictures of the boards and the heat sinks on the deluxe do look better and it does come with more SATA cables.... Wish I had a way to quantify how good the bigger heatsinks are, guess I'll have too look around.

Well if ya like heat sinks, it's not a big jump from the P6T Deluxe to the Rampage II Extreme....ya like heat sinks ....this thing has em in spades.

6 + 1 + 1 SATA / 12 USB
3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (at x16/x16/x1 or x16/x8/x8 mode)
Dual GigaBit Lan
Supreme FX X-Fi daughter card

I'm gonna disagree with the price performance ratio argument as it's a "red herring". The GFX cards don't play games by themselves so to my mind, arguing the $464/$379 value ratio is a meaningless one. If the card will get you 5-10% performance increases on the games you play, the value judgment has to be made on the cost of the system. If you wanna get a 295GTX or 4870x2, the value argument has to be made on the cost of the entire system. If you budget goes up from $2,837 to $2,922 that's a 3% increase in price which should be compared with your performance increase. Only you can make the value judgment as to whether that increase is wrth the cost.

 

[mortonww]

Another case suggestion for what it's worth: The Cooler Master Storm Sniper mid-tower case is huge with holes you can pop out for watercooling tubes, comes with a lot of stock cooling fan power (with room for additional fans). It's got a built-in fan controller and LED power on/off button. It's got cable management holes in the motherboard tray and also a hole behind the CPU so installing an aftermarket cooler with a back-plate is easier. I really like it.

 

[mad_sparker]

Just two little comments....

1. Cable wise the Antec Signature series 850 may be a better choice for the Antec case. You also mentioned "quiet case" and the Antec Signature Series model is on SilentPC's Editor's Choice list:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_PSUs

Don't get me wrong, I think the Corsair HX series is one of the best on the market, it's just not apparently as quiet as the Antec Signatures....at least according to SilentPC folks. The Antec Signature make the "Editor's Choice" category whereas the Corsair HX comes in just behind in the "Recommended" category.

The Corsait 620HX recorded a sound pressure level of 22 dbA @ 300W in SilentPC's tests whereas the Antec Signature 650 recorded 18 dBA. The Antec however was done in an Anechoic chamber whereas the Corsair was tested in a live room. You can usually subtract up to 3 dbA to get an approximation of the difference between the chamber and "outside". That reduces the Corsair's 22 to a 19 which make sit very close but this difference might be important to you. Personally, I'd find it hard to notice 1 dbA ..... 3dbA represents a doubling of sound pressure level.

See more about the Signatures and HX Series here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article880-page6.html - from 10-30-2008

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article692-page5.html - from 11-17-2006

2. If you order from newegg today, it won't ship till Monday which is when newegg customer service told me they would start shipping Win7 so as to arrive on your doorstep on 10-22.

Thanks for the heads up on the power supply. That silent PC review was pretty thorough and with the case it ends up about the same price as the HX. Hopefully the 850 will be very similar to the 650 as they say.

 

[Shadow703793]

$464/$379 value ratio is a meaningless one.

Not entirely, you should also consider that the GTX295 is a DX10 card. Sure, we don't know how "big" DX 11 will be, but next gen games (Crysis 2,etc) are *suppose* to be DX11. So imo, getting a DX11 card is a better investment overall, even if games may not utilize DX11 off the bat.

 

[mad_sparker]

Hmm I'll have to look at the GPU again. I did find this article HD 5870 review which has a nice description of whats going on. I am also starting to think that X10 was skipped because Vista was skipped. Windows 7 from everyone I know who is running it now fixes all the problems people had with Vista. Everyone I know skipped Vista, where I work even started with Vista and then backed out to XP.

In perspective if all I need to redo on my first build is the GPU in a few years I would consider it a success. So I may just go with the cheaper one.

Thanks again for all the help. Once I get this monster built I'll see what tests I can run and let you know how I did.

 

[newbuilder333]

I just built this system:

Intel core i7 920 @2.66Ghz DO batch A steeping
AsRock x58 Extreme motherboard
3x2Gb OCZ Gold DDR3 SDRAM 1600Mhz Cas 8 Timings: 8-8-8-24 @1.65v
Sapphire Radeon HD 5870
Corsair HX850 PSU
Xigmatech Dark Knight CPU Cooler
2x WD Caviar Black 640Gb HDD
Samsung CD/DVD burner
Antec 902 case
Samsung 2333 1920x1080 23” 5ns LCD

which is similar in some ways to yours. I have to agree about getting a direct x 11 video card. Why not prepare for the future. I also really like the Corsair 850HX so far. It doesn't seem too loud. You want to hear loud, manually set the fan on the 5870 to 100%. Sounds like a small Lear jet preparing for take-off. I have read about 45% is enough and it's not too loud at that setting. point is, you're going to have a bunch of fans running, I wouldn't worry too much about the power supply. I also like the AsRock motherboard for what it's worth, although it appears you have been talked out of it.
Incidentally, I was also on a Dell 8250 and am going to put Dragon Age on my new machine first thins. Funny coincidence.

 

[dantrona]

I'm actually quoting out an i7 build with a budget of $2000 (Little overbudget, oops.)

Case x1 [Total Price: 139.99] *Free Shipping* Coolermaster HAF 932
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

CaseFrontFan Color Replacement x1 [Total Price: 19.99] (optional if you don't mind red)
http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=178&osCsid=3da0cdadb41c02089a09c47d2a2483e6

Processor x1 [Total Price: 199.99] i7 920 (In-store pickup see if you have a microcenter near you)
http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0302727

Motherboard x1 [Total Price: 188.99] ($15 MIRB) GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375

Ram x1 [Total Price: 131.99] ($20 MIRB)*Free Shipping* OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365

Video Card x1 [Total Price: 389.99] XFX Radeon HD5870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150443

Hard Drive1 x1 [Total Price: $289.00] *Free Shipping* Intel X25-M g2 80gb ssd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167016

Hard Drive2 x1 [Total Price: $74.99]. *Free Shipping* SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1tb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

CD-Drive x1 [Total Price: $32.99] Sony Optiarc Black (DOES EVERYTHING BUT BLURAY)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Power Supply x1 [Total Price: $199.99] *Free Shipping* CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009

Thermal Compound x1 [Total Price: $7.99] Shin-Etsu X23-7783D
http://www.petrastechshop.com/shx2thco1gr.html

CPU Waterblock x1 [Total Price: $79.99] Swiftech Apogee XT
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-Apogee-XT-Extreme-Performance-CPU-waterblock-pr-4568.html

Radiator x1 [Total Price: 51.95] Swiftech MCR320 (120.3 for others)
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCR320-QP-K-Triple-120mm-Radiator-pr-3320.html

Pump x1 [Total Price: 64.95] Swiftech MCP-355
http://www.jab-tech.com/Swiftech-MCP-355-12v-DC-Pump-pr-3510.html

Reservoir x1 [Total Price: 39.95] EK-RES250
http://www.petrastechshop.com/ekmure2.html

Tubing x8 [Total Price: $14.80] Black Tubing 7/16" ID 5/8" OD(This is totally tour choice, as long as its the same size)
http://www.jab-tech.com/PrimoFlex-Pro-LRT-Black-Tubing-7-16in.-ID-X-5-8in.-OD-pr-4423.html

Barbs x6 [Total Price: $19.20] (Needed.)
http://www.jab-tech.com/Bitspower-True-Silver-G1-4-High-Flow-1-2-Barb-BP-SLWP-C01-pr-4397.html

Radiator Fans x6 [Total Price: 21.60] (Again, your choice, this is what I was recommended)
http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-120mm-Case-Fan-D12SL-12-pr-3009.html

Anti-Tube Kinking x3 [Total Price: 23.6] Blue UV reactive (Again, your choice)
http://www.petrastechshop.com/40swsm625f5o.html

UV-Lights x2 [Total Price: 11.50] Purple (Your choice)
http://www.petrastechshop.com/lo12ducocaki4.html

Liquid protection x2 [Total Price: 17.50]Killcoil (Totally needed, put one at each end of the loop)
http://www.petrastechshop.com/sikibyia.html

GPU Waterblock x1 [Total Price: 107.95] 5870 Waterblock (best on the market or so they say on xtremesystems.org)
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=579&products_id=26490

Pump Top x1 [Total Price: 18.95] Needed for that specific reservoir.
http://www.jab-tech.com/XSPC-Laing-DDC-Top-pr-4124.html

Total Price: $2112.84 after MIRBS

I might have miscounted on the amount of barbs by 1-2, but still. Note that dosn't include an OS or Office or anything, I don't count that in my build price. Also, I don't plan on a blu-ray player because I would prefer watching blu rays on my tv, not on my computer. more comfortable that way.

That should help ya.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

$464/$379 value ratio is a meaningless one.

Not entirely, you should also consider that the GTX295 is a DX10 card. Sure, we don't know how "big" DX 11 will be, but next gen games (Crysis 2,etc) are *suppose* to be DX11. So imo, getting a DX11 card is a better investment overall, even if games may not utilize DX11 off the bat.

Yes, the DX10 / DX11 issue is a valid one....but different issue from the value one. What i was saying is performance / price comparisons should compare system costs not component costs since the whole system and game experience improved form the GX upgrade.

As for DX11, I'd be wary of a big investment in GFX if you keep cards > 2 years. If you're keeping less than that, then you're onto something else before DX11 can be a factor.